My Only Sunshine
by NaomiGnome
Summary: Riley left the world to its own devices. Cory tries to pick up the pieces. Warning: Character death. Now a three-shot.
1. Chapter 1

He takes the subway, a rarity for him, but he reasons that he has enough to think about without the distraction of driving a car. He goes towards Farkle's house first, the farthest, in the nicest area of New York. He figures that the distance will be enough so that he can figure out what to say.

He doesn't.

Luckily, or unluckily, Farkle has plenty to say. Cory stares at him in bewilderment as he speeds off facts about enlarged hearts, the probability of having them, the probability of dying from them. How ironic it was that Riley, of all people would have an enlarged heart. Or not ironic, because she a had a large heart figuratively and in every sense of the word. Farkle speaks so fast, Cory begins to believe that the speed of his words could outrun his grief.

But it doesn't, and Corey ends up holding Farkle with his tear-stained face and voiceless desperation. Cory comforts him as best he can.

Farkle says to him hoarsely, "But Mr. Matthews, without her, we're nothing."

 **X**

Cory flees before Farkle says anything else.

He goes to Lucas, because he needs to. Lucas had become an ocean of serenity in lieu of his troubled past. If he was being honest with himself, a part of Cory prays that Lucas is as cool-headed as he has been since moving to New York, because he needs that kind of calm.

But when he knocks on the door, Zay greets him with a bloodied lip and eyes that are swollen from crying.

"I've never seen him this bad before." Zay says simply, and Cory's heart plummets.

He knocks slowly on Lucas' bedroom door and presses his ear cautiously against the cool wood. There is nothing but silence to greet him. He turns the knob and steps in quietly. The room is in chaos. There are multiple holes in the walls, a lamp shattered on the floor, a wooden dresser cracked and face down.

Nothing is in its place and Lucas sits in the middle of it, huddled in a ball that blocks out the world.

The world without Riley.

Cory steps over the disarray and stands over Lucas forlornly. He eyes the cuts over the young man's hands and blood that trickles over his knuckles. He still hasn't come up with the right words to say.

Lucas looks up at him, eyes stormy with grief, "What do we do now, sir?"

Cory doesn't know, but he sinks to his knees next to Lucas and lets Lucas cry recklessly into his blazer. He leaves Lucas with Zay after he falls asleep from heartache. He makes his way to Harts' residence.

 **X**

Katy Hart answers the door with tear-stains. She pales when she sees Cory, and wordlessly lets him in and leads him to Maya's room. She is on her way to being a more present parent, a better mother, but nothing could have prepared her for this. So she steps aside and leaves her daughter to Cory.

Maya is not in her room. Katy inhales sharply with worry, but Cory knows where Riley's best friend is simply from the cold draft that comes from her open window. It occurs to him that there was no other place that Maya could have been but there.

 **X**

Cory steps into Riley's room for the first time since she's left the world. He has tiptoed past Topanga and Auggie, who had remained in a grief-induced slumber since he had left earlier that morning.

Maya is sitting at the window. _Their_ window. Corey sits down next to her and doesn't really say anything except wrap an arm around her fragile form. For a while, there is nothing but a tragic understanding between them.

Riley is gone.

"How is the world still moving?" Maya says suddenly. Her voice is crippled with pain.

"I don't know," and he doesn't.

"You checked up on Farkle and Ranger Rick?" Maya manages in an attempt at normality.

"Yeah, I did."

"Are they okay?" It is a stupid question and they both know it.

"No."

"What do we keep doing Mr. Matthews? How do we keep going?"

"Together."

 **X**

They stood together in front of Riley's grave.

 _Riley Matthews_

 _2002-2015_

 _Beloved friend, sister, and daughter_

 _She went out to make the world her own, she became the world to others._

Cory Matthews crumples and holds onto his wife. His shoulders shake in despair.


	2. Chapter 2

"Riley Matthews! Don't you dare go past that oak tree!"

Six-year-old Riley Matthews paused only slightly and turned to call out to her mother, "I'm not Mama! I'm just going to the flowers over there!" Her blue eyes shone with mirth before continuing on her way.

Maya huffed in appreciation, and watched her daughter approach the flower patches with a bittersweet smile. Hearing a chuckle behind her, she turned to see a familiar man with a similar expression on his face.

Lucas chuckled, "If it was in my faith, I'd think Riley was reborn."

Maya smiled in humor, and stepped forward to hug her old friend. "Hey, Ranger Rick! Glad you could join the party."

Lucas grimaced jokingly and replied, "Maya, if you keep calling me that, it's going to-"

"UNCLE RANGER RICK!" Lucas was cut off by Riley's shriek of excitement, as she spotted her godfather from the flower patch. She sprinted toward him, giggling. Lucas afforded Maya a sidelong glance, before scooping up his goddaughter enthusiastically.

"It's Uncle Lucas to you!" Riley giggled as he put her down. She simply shrugged with a merciless grin and ran back to her flower patch, disregarding her godfather entirely.

Lucas shook his head and turned to Maya, "Do you know when Farkle is supposed to be here?"

Maya shrugged, not unlike her daughter, before saying, "Soon, hopefully. You know him and Smackle have their hands full with the Minkii."

They both chuckled fondly. Lucas joked, "Seriously, who would've thought Farkle would have triplets. You'd think he and Smackle were breeding an army to take over the world."

They laughed again, glancing at each other nervously at the distinct possibility that the joke was the truth.

"Anyways, us and Uncle Boing was here earlier with the Matthews. He's coming back to be ere with us, he just needs to drop off Auggie first."

Lucas nodded, "You call your husband Uncle Boing still? Aren't you worried that Riley will catch on?"

"No! I know Uncle Boing is actually Daddy Boing!" Riley stated firmly, startling Lucas. She had returned from the flower patch with a good handful of flower crowns.

Lucas hoisted Riley up once more, and without hesitation placed a daisy crown on his head, "One for Uncle Ranger Rick!"

Riley pushed off of Lucas to reach the ground again before prancing to her mother, "One for Mama!" Maya accepted her crown graciously.

"And one for Auntie Riley!" The six-year-old cheerfully placed a daisy crown onto her namesake's gravestone. Behind her, Lucas and Maya stilled and stared wistfully at both Rileys.

Maya opened her mouth, but before she could say anything a familiar voice called out, "Does Farkle get a flower crown, Miss Riley?"

The three turned toward the voice and its owner with smiles. Farkle approached the group, carrying one of his triplet children on his back. Behind him, the other two kids were hanging surreptitiously off either of their mother's arm. A little more behind them, Maya could see her husband tailing them, having just arrived.

"Yes, Uncle Farkle!" she responded, before realizing she had no more flower crowns. " _Oh no._ Wait right here, don't move! _"_

 _"_ Alby, why don't you go help Riley out." Farkle beckoned to his son. Alby nodded, before motioning to his brothers obnoxiously, "ISAAC. DARWIN. LETS GO."

The kids ran in laughter towards the flower patch as their parents watched. Maya, Lucas, Farkle, and Smackle exchanged hugs and began to catch up. Josh Matthews came and greeted all of them, slipping an arm around Maya's shoulders and pressing a quick kiss to her temple. They continued talking, laughing back on old times, talking about the woes of raising kids, about futures that they wished for them. Riley and the Minkii returned several times to bestow their parents with flower crowns, but were mostly preoccupied. The sun began to set behind the trees that bordered the cemetery, and eventually the kids joined them on the picnic blanket laid out in front of the original Riley Matthews grave, tired from their shenanigans.

"I think its time to get these little ones to bed." Smackle concluded. The others nodded in agreement, watching in amusement as Riley, Alby, Isaac, and Darwin had begun to slump against each other in drowsiness. The Minkuses said their goodbyes, hugging everyone else and promising to see them soon for play dates and the like. Riley snuggled up next to her father, waving sleepy goodbyes to her triplet best friends.

Josh hefted his daughter up, "Hey, I'm going to go put her in the car now. She's beginning to drool."

Maya nodded, "I'll be there soon." Josh clapped Lucas on the back before heading off with his daughter.

Maya turned to Lucas, "So Huckleberry, I'm about to be off here, where are you headed?"

Lucas shrugged, "I'll probably go see the Matthews sometime this weekend. Then, I don't know, probably go down to Louisiana to see Zay."

Maya nodded and stared at him thoughtfully. "What?" Lucas responded to her expression.

"When are ya going to stop this whole Lone Ranger bit, Huckleberry? Stop driving around on your death-trap-cowboy-motorcycle and settle down."

It was Lucas' turn to shrug. "Do you still cry?"

"Every year," Maya responded, "And according the phone call I got from Smackle this morning, Farkle does too."

"But you guys have found a way to keep moving, I can't. I don't know how, other than actually moving around."

Maya nodded in understanding, before hugging Lucas tightly. "You don't keep moving by choice, you force yourself. You know Riles wouldn't have wanted you to have this life."

"I wouldn't have this life if she were still here."

Maya swallowed hard, before smiling sadly. "Come over for dinner and stay the night, we've got an extra room." she said with conviction.

Lucas nodded, "Okay. I'll be there a little after y'all. I just wanna say my goodbyes."

Maya nodded and proceeded to bend and kiss the top of Riley's gravestone. She walked towards her family's car.

Lucas eyes combed over the words on the tombstone. and felt a familiar moisture begin to gather. He sighed wistfully and thought about what could've been.


	3. Chapter 3

Texas was beautiful in the spring. It wasn't overly hot in the mornings, and it wasn't freezing at night. It was good for Maya Penelope Matthews, who had, in her old age, retired to the country. She hummed quietly, taking in the scenery. Maybe she would paint later as she noted the sun steadily getting lower with a squint.

"Momma, you need to take your medicine before dinner," Riley said as she stepped out onto the patio. Even with the wrinkles, Riley could see the rebellious spark glint in her mother's eyes.

"I don't need it," she said bluntly.

" _Yes, you do._ "

"Why don't you tell your dad to take his medicine? As soon as he takes his, I will take mine!" Maya proclaimed, glaring at her daughter unmovingly.

Riley's eyes softened before she said lightly, "You and dad are so stubborn. You're so lucky that Uncle Lucas lets us stay here with both of your rotten attitudes."

"Yeah, well Huckleberry has always been a big lumpy softie." Maya retorted, and then her voice got soft, "Sit down with me, Riley."

Her daughter swallowed hard before taking a seat on the bench that sat next to her mother's rocking chair.

"Now Little Plant, Huckleberry is not only a big lumpy softie, he is also kind of dense. It comes with the territory of being someone of his..." Maya waved her hand exaggeratedly, "...stature? Looks? That thing that makes your brain turn to goo? Even Farkle and Zay say so. _Even Smackle can see he's a dense idiot._ "

Riley laughed nervously.

Maya continued, "All I'm saying is, you can't keep leading him on like this. I mean, were in high school now, and it's so annoying obvious that he really likes you. So just go for it! I mean, unless you're long gaming it like me and Uncle Boing..."

Maya trailed off uncertainly, staring widely at the expanse of the plain that surrounded their Texas home. She was no longer facing her daughter. Riley slipped quietly inside, careful not to disturb her mother from her reverie. She met Alby in the kitchen, placing Maya's medicine down shakily onto the counter.

"She didn't want her medicine?" Alby asked.

Riley shook her head, "No, not like it would matter anyway, she was already somewhere else when I went out there. And then she was even further back." Riley choked back tears and leaned on her husband for support.

"Hey, hey, Mom said it wouldn't be easy," Alby murmured, "We're doing the best we can for her. She's got this amazing house where she can... _reminisnce_ all day. The doctors did say that there would be no going back, we just need to make her comfortable when she's ready."

Riley turned to him with a pained voice, "She brought up _Dad_ today. And Uncle Lucas and Uncle Zay, and your mom and dad...it's not fair. _She doesn't even recognize me anymore._ She keeps calling me Little Plant like I'm Aunt Riley, and _it's not fair._ She's my mom, and it's like half the time I'm talking to the sixteen-year-old version of her." She gripped onto Alby tightly, finally letting her tears flow freely, "And then that's not even the half of it, _what if it happens to me?_ What will I do if I have to leave you or Isaac or Darwin or your parents or Baby Cory or Shawn, or, or..." she trailed off, realizing sadly that there was hardly anyone left.

They held each other quietly and Alby said quietly, "Hey, we'll be okay. You're a Minkus, and even if it's by marriage, Minkii live forever." They both chuckled as he continued, "We should spend some time with your mom, it could be months, weeks, days, until...you know."

Riley nodded, and stepped gingerly back outside, this time with Alby in tow. Maya started, and looked at them, eyes thick like honey, and the brightest blue Riley had seen in a long time.

"Hey Baby, Alby" Maya greeted her daughter and son-in-law.

"Hi Momma," Riley replied, "Do you have anything you wanna do?"

Maya pondered her daughter's question for a few seconds before replying firmly, "Let's have a good talk. A nice talk. I wanna tell you guys a story."

Riley and Alby sat on the bench and look toward Maya expectantly.

Maya started, "I'm going to tell you about the best group of friends there ever was. There was me, who was not exactly homey material. But I had your back, and I would never betray you intentionally." She looked pointedly at Riley before saying with a grin, "And I wasn't half bad with a pencil and a pad o' paper."

"And then there was Huckleberry," Maya continued, "He was a freak o' nature, boyishly handsome, annoyingly so, good at every sport under the sun. But he also had your back, he was as he said 'strong as a horse' without even trying," Maya snorted.

Riley and Alby exchanged glances. Uncle Lucas had died, the same year Baby Cory was born. Held his great-godson in his arms the day he was born, and many times after that for all of three months before passing away quietly. Riley was there, along with the rest of the family. Shawn, who was five at the time had asked him tearfully where he was going. Lucas Friar's last words were "I'm off to see a princess."

Maya continued, "There was Farkle, smartest boy in the world. Loved turtlenecks, hated societal stigmas. Great friend, always knew before everyone else..."

Alby smiled, his mother in law rarely gave compliments to his father, but he knew Farkle didn't really mind. Alby realized that this was because Maya was right, his father probably knew of the deep affection Maya had for him regardless. He always knew.

"Now, Farkle may have been the smartest boy, but the smartest person in the whole world is definitely Isadora Smackle. She didn't know her way around a party, but she adapted like a pro. And it's always nice to know that there was someone who could take Farkle down a notch."

Alby and Riley laughed, she could take anyone down a notch.

"Now Zay, was a _great dancer_. And he knew things too! But mostly cause he asked a bunch of other people," Maya snorted again.

Riley thought fondly of her other godfather. He taught her everything she knew about dance, and when he couldn't even walk, she danced for him until the end came.

"And in the center of it all, was Riley," Maya said fondly. She looked to her daughter and Alby, her eyes clear like water, "She was the gravity of our group. The person that made our friendship what it was. No matter what came our way, she was there holding us together. We were the greatest group of friends there ever was..." she locked eyes with Riley, "You're named after the best person I ever knew, she was the world to me. When she left," Riley stared at her mother in shock; this was the first mention of Aunt Riley's death in _years_ , "When she left, it was dark for a while, but then you came," Maya smiled, "And you became my world."

Riley could feel the tears well up in her eyes. Maya turned back to the scenery contentedly. Alby gripped his wife's hand, and she squeezed back harder. They watched as Maya closed her eyes with a smile.

Maya blinked awkwardly into the light and smiled as Riley's beaming face came into focus. Not a day over sixteen, as lovely as she was the day that she died.

"Hey, Peaches."


End file.
